Renowned photographer David Yarrow celebrates ten years since capturing one of his most iconic images to date.
Born and raised in the Scottish city of Glasgow, David Yarrow is a celebrated fine art photographer and conservationist now based in London, England. Yarrow is famed for his images of wildlife and indigenous communities, as well as for shots of sports stars and world-famous models. Captured in Antarctica, one of his most iconic photographs, The Long March, recently celebrated its tenth birthday.
According to Yarrow, Antarctica is a challenge to photograph in a way that is engaging to those that will never have the chance to visit. “Its enormity and its power are difficult to convey in one still image,” he explains. “Tight shots tend to work less well than wide-angle imagery that portrays a sense of place,” adds the renowned photographer.
However, The Long March, which features a line of ten Emperor penguins, is Yarrow’s one exception to the rule. “It has an aesthetic simplicity to it that none of my other images from Snow Hill could match,” he recalls, looking back. The shot was taken by the fine art photographer and conservationist on Snow Hill, an almost entirely snow-capped island off the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, back in 2010.
Now a little over a decade on, memories of the trip—and capturing the iconic image—remain fresh in David Yarrow’s mind. “Emperor penguins walk in single file, and the file can be long,” Yarrow points out, further reflecting on his one exception to traditional convention surrounding tight shots and wide-angle imagery.
“In the case of The Long March, a 90-degree angle is perfect,” he adds, “if the ice structure and your stamina allow you to get there.”
The Long March is one of a series of photographs captured by Yarrow in Antarctica. Other images in the collection include Wonderwall and The Breakfast Club.
The Long March by David Yarrow available as limited edition print
The Long March has been made available by David Yarrow as a print in two sizes. The largest of the two sizes measures almost eight feet across. Alternatively, buyers can opt for a slightly smaller print measuring around two-thirds that size.
Yarrow last shared The Long March with his social media followers back in 2018. In doing so, the shot attracted almost 12,000 likes on Instagram, as well as countless further comments and likes on other platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.
Fans of renowned photographer and conservationist David Yarrow can also follow his adventures via the In Focus podcast. The latest episode, Amboseli, is now available on platforms including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. Past episodes, including The Killers, North Korea, Polar Bears, and Mankind, are also available to enjoy via the same sources.
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